Viktoria Tolstoy - album review

Viktoria Tolstoy

Pictures of Me (ACT Records)

JAZZ

The Swedish singer’s sophisticated take on contemporary pop-inflected jazz has already paid dividends on her previous releases for ACT, made in association with Esbjörn Svensson. This time round, she has plundered her record collection for songs by some of her favourite non-jazz artists, augmented with original compositions by the likes of cellist and bassist Lars Danielsson and pianist Jacob Karlzon, the latter in collaboration with her husband, former skateboard champion Per Holknekt.

In the process, she gives a new twist to songs like Prince’s Strollin’ and Te Amo Corazón (re-imagined as a sultry bossa), Paul Simon’s Have A Good Time, Peter Gabriel’s Kiss the Frog, Stevie Wonder’s Can’t Help It, and Van Morrison’s The Way Young Lovers Do.